Report: Raiders to Sign Longtime Cowboys TE Jason Witten
(KPIX) -- The Raiders have agreed to a one-year deal with 11-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten according to multiple reports. The contract is expected to be finalized when the NFL new year begins on Wednesday.
Witten returned to Dallas in 2019 after spending the 2018 season working for ESPN as an analyst for "Monday Night Football." The man he replaced in the broadcast booth is now his head coach, Jon Gruden.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine last month that he wanted Witten to remain with the team, but Witten was not interested in having his role reduced in 2020.
He caught 63 passes for 529 yards and four touchdowns last season. Witten leaves the Cowboys as the franchise's all-time leader in games played, receptions and receiving yards. Aside from his brief retirement in 2018, he has not missed a game since his rookie season in 2003.
Witten will certainly provide a veteran presence in the locker room and give the Raiders a very reliable backup at tight end. Darren Waller led the team with over 1,100 yard receiving last season and was signed to a multi-year contract extension.